Heel-loading machine.



PATENTED APR. 3, 1906.

A. F. PRESTON.

HEEL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1902,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I! mmnnmin CL 6x @MM PA TBNTED APR. 3, 1906.

A. F. PRESTON.

HEEL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHBET 2 PATENTBD APR. 8, 1906.

- A. 15. PRESTON.

HEEL LOADING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1902.

4 SHEETS-SHBET wilnesse's:

Tai

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HEEL-LOADING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 3, 1906 Application filed August 27. 1902. Serial No. 121,217\

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALBERT F. PRESTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Heel-Loading Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to machines for driving fasteners, having for its specific purpose the provision of an automatic heelloader, so called-that is, a machine for inserting nails into a heel preparatory to its being aflixed to the sole of a boot of shoe in process of manufacture thereof.

According to the present invention the nails are inserted successively in the face of the heel at regular intervals, all at the same distance from the edge, as will be explained.

Different-sized heels may be loaded upon the.

machine with equal facility, the nails being automatically located at different distances apart, according to the size of the heel.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in front elevation a. machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 represents a section of the same on a vertical plane from front to rear. Fig. 3 illustrates the under side of the work-carrier and its support. Fig. 4 represents in plan view the work clamp or holder. Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the work-holding device. Fig. 5 represents in perspective view the workfeeding mechanism complete. Figs. 6, 7, 8, and 9 illustrate the work-feeding mechanism and illustrate the different positions assumed by the heel as it is being loaded. Fig. 10 represents a loaded heel. Fig. 11 represents the work-feeding ratchet. Fig. 12 represents the gage or templet.

So far as the mechanism for driving the end of the wire into the heel and severing the driven end is concerned it does not differ materially from the mechanism illustrated in my copending application, Serial No. 83,175, filed November 21, 1901, to which reference may be had for a more detailed description of the parts.

On the drawings, 10 indicates a standard, which is hollow, as shown, and to the top of which is attached a hollow head or framed 1. In the front of the head there is a carrier 12 for the cutters 13. These cutters perform the function of engaging the wire, feeding it, driving the end thereof into the work, and severing the driven end. The particular manner in which this is accomplished is immaterial, so far as the present invention is concerned, it suflicing to state that the cutters are wedged together by the action of the carrier, so asto grip the wire and strike against a stop during their descent, whereby the continued movement of the carrier wedges them still further together, so as to sever the driven end of the wire. As the carrier moves upward a dog engages it and prevents retrograde movement of the wire. The carrier moves in guides (indicated at 14 14) secured to the head of the frame 11, and it is actuated by a crank-pin 15 on a disk 16, attached to the shaft 17. This shaft is j ournaled in bearings in the hollow head or frame and is equipped with a loose sleeve 18, on which is keyed a belt pulley 19. There is likewise placed upon the shaft a clutchsleeve 20, formed with teeth to engage similar teeth on the sleeve 18, said sleeve 20 being splined upon the shaft 17, so as to move longitudinally thereon under the stress of a spring 21. The sleeve 20 is provided with a springpressed pin 22, said pin when permitted to rise engaging a cam-shoulder 23 on the sleeve 20 to withdraw it from engagement with the sleeve 18 prior to the engagement of the pin 22 with the stop end of the cam-shoulder 23. Said pin 22 is adapted, by reason of a spring 24, placed. in the frame, as shown in Fig. 2, to

rise into operative position. The lower end of the pin is connected by a rod 25 to the foot-treadle at the base of the standard. (Not shown.)

As thus far described the machine does not materially differ from the machine illustrated in my said copending application hereinbefore referred to.

The feeding mechanism for the work comprises a rotatable work clamp and support, a feed-wheel geared thereto, and a feed-pawl actuated by the shaft 17. The pawl is shown in Fig. 5 and is indicated at- 26. It is loosely fulcrumed on the stud 27, so as to be capable of a rocking movement thereon and to move longitudinally relatively thereto. The upper end of the pawl is yoke-shaped to straddle an eccentric 28 formed on the shaft 17, from which it receives its oscillatory movement. A spring 68 is attached to a tie-rod 29, extending across the top of the frame, and bears on the upper end of the pawl, so as to hold it yieldingly downward in engagement with the feed-wheel therebeneath.

The feed-wheel last referred to is indicated at 30 and is formed on the end of a vertical The upper end of the shaft is journaled on a stud 34, and thelower end is stepped in a bearing 35, provided by a forwardly-projecting portion of the hollow standard. Two parts of the shaft are coupled together in a suitable way, the lower shaft receiving an additional bearing in a bar 36, passed through the standard, as shown in Fig. 2. This bar serves the p'urposeof carrying another part, whose function will be subsequently explained. Keyed to portion32of the shaft there is a gear-wheel 37, intermeshing with and rotating a second gear-wheel 38 of the same size and having the, same. number of teeth. The hub of the gearswheel 38 is journaled in a bearing 39 in .thesaid forwardly-projecting portion of the hollow standard. The interior of the gearwheel 38' is formed with a spherical socket 40 for the reception of a ball 41 on a shaft 42. A pin is passed through the gear 38 and through a wide slot in the ball to cause the shaft 42 to rotate with the gear 38 and yet permit a limited universal movement of the shaft 42 relatively to the gear. The upper end of shaft 42 is adapted to receive a sleeve 44, which is secured thereto by a set-screw 46. In the sleeve 44 isplaced a shaft 45, which is capable of lcngitudinal movement relatively thereto and which rotates therewith. A pin 47 is passed through slots in the sleeve 44 into the shaft 45, said pin being provided with a head or stop 48 for purpose to be described.

The work clamp or holder is indicated as a whole at 50. (See Fig. 4.) It rests upon a plate 51, which has a tongued-and-grooved connection with the forwardly extending portions 52 of the said guides 14, hereinbefore referred to. The said plate 51 is normally held at the rearward extreme of its movement by helical springs 53, as shown in Fig. 3, and is provided with a round aperture to receive a flanged bushing 55. This bushing is formed two parts, divided horizontally, and the lower part is attached to the upper part by pins. (Not shown.) This bushing is secured to the under face of the work-support 50, so that the two will rotate together. Placed in the bushing there is a block 58, having a semispherical socket 59 for the reception of a ball 60 on the upper end of the shaft 45, said block being pinned to said ball in such manner as to allow a practically-limited universal movement of the block relatively to the shaft. The said block As the pawl 26 oscil-- has a wedge-shaped portion 61, which projects upwardly into a groove in the under face of the work-support 50. This wedgeshaped portion serves to connect the block 58 with the work-clamp to cause the two to rotate in unison and also moves the work-clamp to inoperative position. The said workclamp consists of two jaws 62 63, the jaw 62 being straight to engage the straight edge or breast of the heel, with an angular end 64 to take around the corner of the heel, and the jaw 63 being adapted to engage the curved end wall of the heel for the purpose of centering the heel upon the su port. These two jaws are secured to two slides 65 65, which are located in the groove heretofore described as being in the under face of the work-s upport. The wedge-shaped portion 61 of the block 58 bears against the beveled inner ends of said slides, so that when the said block is moved bodily downward the slides are separated to cause the jaws to release the heel. A spring is employed for moving said slides toward each other to cause the jaws to engage the heel when permitted to do so by the block 58 as best shown in Figs. 2 and 4 It will be observed that said spring is substantially U- shaped, having the end bar a, the two sides I) b, and the bent portions 0 c to add to the resiliency thereof. The side portions 1) 1) extend upward through slots formed in the bushing 55, and their endsproject into holes or apertures formed in the slides 65 65.

As thus far described it will be seen that when the main shaft 17 is rotated it will effect an oscillation of the feeding-pawl and a consequent step-by-step rotation of the shaft 32, which will in turn cause the rotation of the shaft 45 through the intermediate mechanism, and the rotation of the work-holder.

It now remains to be described how the nails are set all at the same distance from the edge of the heel and how the work-support is rotated to locate the nails at the same distance from each other.

In order to provide for the nails all being at the same distance from the edge of the heel, the feed-wheel 30 is formed with a gage or templet 80, which rotates therewith and against which the side of the heel is held by the springs 53 drawing upon the plate 51, so as to force the work-holder toward the standard of the machine. This gage is shown in Fig. 12. It is designed to cooperate directly with the edge of the heel. In Fig. 10 I have illustrated a heel with the position of the nails correctly indicated. It will be seen that there are twelve nails, (numbered, respectively, I to XII.) The nails I and XII are what I term breast-nails. They, together with the nails numbered II and XI, are in parallelism with the breast of the heel. of nails indicated from II to XI are in a line parallel to the curved edge of the heel, which edge I have indicated for explicitness as x.

The series erases The nails are all located in the radii an of an unknown circle whose center I have marked y, and it will be seen that the nails are at dif ferent distances from the said center. The shortest distance between the edge is and the nails indicated from IV to IX is practically equal in each case to the extension of the radial line indicated at 2, whereas with the nails numbered I to III and X to XII the eX- tension Z of the radial line is much longer than a line drawn directly from the nail to the edge, as indicated by the dotted line and marked 1). Therefore inasmuch as the gage regulates the point in the work at which the nail is to be driven it is plain that that portion of the gage which regulates the driving of nails from IV to IX may be substantially circular, as indicated at w in Fig. 12, and that the heel as a whole must move relatively nearer the standard during the driving of the remaining nails, since the heel turns on the axis indicated by the point y. Therefore the engagement of the hcelfor the nail III, for instancewith the gage at the end of the radial line 2 for the nail would, if the gage were entirely circular, cause the nail to be set nearer the edge of the heel than it should be. Consequently the gage is slabbed oil or cut away at u and t, these cut-off portions forming flat faces at an angle of substantially ninety degrees to each other, so that the heel as a whole is bodily movable toward and hem the line of movement of the nails. The shape of the gage has to be determined arbitrarily in accordance with the number of nails to be driven and their distances apart. The heel rotates with the gage from a neutral position. (Indicated in full lines in Fig. 6.) In the first step in this rotation the heel and gage assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, in which the flat breast of the heel rests against the face if of the gage and in which time nail I is driven. From the dotted position the heel and gage move to the full line position in Fig. 7, at which time nail number II is driven. This is the corner-nail, and at this time the corner of the heel presses against the flat face i of the gage. Another step of the feedwheel causes the parts to assume the dotted. position shown in Fig. 7, at which time nail number III is driven. During the time that nails IV to IX are being driven the edge of the heel rests against the circular portion to of the gage. The driving of the nails X to XII is just the reverse of that described in connection with I to III and is illustrated in Figs. 8 and 9. During all of this time the heel is held against the gage by the springs 53 drawing on the plate or slide.

In order that the nails may be driven at the same distance apart in the heel, the following mechanism is provided. Before describing said mechanism, however, I desire to again call attention to Fig. 10, in which it will be seen that some of the angles formed by the radii are greater than others.

For instance, angles formed by the radii :r 00 for nails X and XI is much smaller than the similar an gle formed by the radii for nails VII and VIII. Consequently inasmuch as the heel is rotated about the axis y it is evident that the steps taken by the heel in its movement cannot be all of the same length. Another determining factor in the length of the steps of the feed is that some of the nails are located farther from the center or axis than others, so that in order to effect the proper feeding of the heel it is necessary that the feed-wheel 30 be provided with the irregular teeth 33, hcreinbefore referred to.

It will be seen from Fig. 11 that the length. of the teeth must be arbitrarily determined, care being taken, however, that the teeth are not made of such length that the feed-pawl will be unable to cooperate with them, because the feed-pawl, as has been previously explained, has always the same length of oscillation. As shown in the last figure, some of the teeth are cut away, as at e, i, and m, while others are at an inclination, as at In the case of the teeth It g, &c., the end of the pawl engages the teeth at the extreme outer edge of the feed-Wheel, and consequently a shorter movement of the wheel is experienced than when the pawl engages the teeth nearer the center, as in the case of the teeth e, i, m, and n. The teeth are all arranged, however, so that the pawl will engage only one tooth at each oscillation and will not skip a tooth during the entire rotation of the feed-wheel. l/Vhen the machine is stopped by the stopmotion, the pawl rests in the middle of its feeding movement between the teeth p and e, the teeth 1 to p corresponding to the nails I to XII, respectively, on the heel.

In order to index the feed-wheel when the stop-motion mechanism operates, is formed with a notch for the reception of a pin 91, projecting laterally from the pin 22. As the pin 22 moves vertically the pin 91 is carried into engagement with the notch 90 by the action of spring 24, this upward movement taking place when the feed-wheel has been rotated to bring the notch 90 into vertical alinement with the pin 91, thereby releasing the pin 22 and permitting the stop-motion mechanism to operate. During the rotary movement of the feed-wheel the pin 91 rides against the under face of the feed-wheel and holds the pin 22 out of the path of movement of the cam-shoulder 23. This pin, 91 brings the feed-wheel to neutral position and holds it against further movement.

The work-support is provided with the grooves 92, as shown in Figs. a and 4, which extend inward toward the center on the radial lines shown in Fig. 1 0,tl1esc grooves receiving the nails in case the points of any are driven through the heel. These grooves serve another purpose, inasmuch as they coact with a second indexing-pin 96, which extends upmines the distance between the periphery of wardly through the slide 51 and is held yieldingly upward by a spring 97. (See Fig. 3.) This pin 96 has a beveled end, so that it will engage the slots and correctly position the work-support and the heel, bringing the slot exactly under the point of the nail to be driven.

I have heretofore stated that the heel is automatically unclamped, andto this end there is adjustably secured in the cross-bar 36 a screw 98, having on its lower end a tripper 99, which engages the stop 48 on the shaft 45 when the work-holder has completed one rotation and forces the said shaft downward to separate the work-clamp jaws and permit the withdrawal of the work. This same movement also swings the shaft 42 forward to move the work-holder to an inoperative position. By adjusting the screw 98 larger or smaller heels may be secured to the clamps on the heel-holder. The parts are so timed that the stop 48 is depressed after nail No. XII has been driven and the pin 91 has entered the notch 90 in the under side of the feed-wheel. The notch 90 is shown in Fig. 6 as somewhat elongated to permit of a slight movement of the feed-wheel after the pin has entered it. When the treadle is depressed to disengage the pin 22 from the clutch member 20 and allow the machine to start, the first rotative step of the feed-wheel causes its under face to engage the pin 91 and hold it depressed, so that the machine will continue to operate until all twelve nails have been driven.

In practice the operator first places a heel in the open clamp and then depresses the treadle. The initial movement of the feeding-pawl effects a partial rotation to shafts 31 and 42 to permit the stop 48 to escape from under the head 99, whereupon the springs 53 im mediately move the work-holder to operative position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6. The nails are set in the heel, as previously described, and as the work-holder completes its cycle of movement it is returned to inoperative position, and the clamp is opened for the removal of the loaded heel.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, I declare that what I claim is 1. The combination of a heel-holder capable of receiving different sizes of heels, means for automatically feeding said holder with reference to a fastener-driving mechanism, whereby a predetermined number of nails are set in succession in the heel in the same predetermined relation to each other irrespective of the size of the heel, and means whereby the contour face of the heel deterthe heel and the position of the fastener.

2. The combination of a heel-holder, and automatic mechanism for effecting a variable feed of the said holder relative to a fastenerdriving mechanism.

3. The combination of a rotatable workholder, and automatic mechanism for effecting a step-by-step rotation of said holder relative to a fastener-driving mechanism in steps of variable length.

4. The combination of a rotatable workholder movable toward and from the line of movement of a fastener-driving plunger, and mechanism for automatically moving said holder toward and from said line of movement and in variable steps about an axis substantially parallel to said line of movement.

5. The combination of a rotatable workholder, means for automatically feeding said work-holder and varying its relation to the line of movement of a fastener-driving plunger to cause a predetermined number of fasteners to be set in a predetermined relation to the work, and means whereby the contour face of the heel determines the distance between the periphery of the heel and the position of the fastener.

6. The combination of a heel-holder, and automatic means for variably feeding said holder relative to a fastener-driving mechanism, said means including mechanism for controlling the movement of the holder in a manner to cause a predetermined number of fasteners to be set in the face of the heel around the curved edge and across the breast thereof.

7. The combination with a rotary gage or templet, of a work-holder rotatable in unison with said templet and adapted to hold the work against said gage, the contour face of the work controlling the relative positions of the gage and work-holder.

8. The combination with a rotary gage or templet, of a work-holder movable toward and from said gage and adapted to retain the work against the gage, the contour face of the work controlling the relative position of the gage and work-holder, and means for rotating said gage and work-holder in unison.

9. The combination with a rotary gage or templet, of a work-holder movable toward and from said gage, and means for imparting a variable step-by-step rotation to said gage and said work-holder.

10. The combination with a rotary gage or templet having an irregular periphery, of a work-holder adapted to move toward or from the gage to hold the work thereagainst, and means for effecting a rotation of the workholder and the gage.

11. A machine of the character described, comprising a work-holder, a horizontallymovable clamp on said work-holder, means erases for rotating said holder, and mechanism for automatically stopping the rotation. of said WOIlQ-llOlClG]? and opening said clamp.

12. A machine of the character described comprising a work-holder movable into and out of operative position, means for effecting the rotation of the work-holder, a work-clamp on said work-holder, and automatic means for effecting the movement of said work holder into and out of operative position and the closing and opening of said clamp.

13. In a machine of the character referred to, the combination with intermeshing gears, of shafts connected to said gears to rotate therewith, a device for rotating one of said shafts, awork-holder rotatable with the other of said. shafts, and provisions whereby one of said shafts can swing toward and from the other of said shafts.

14.. A machine of the character referred to, comprising a pair of intermeshing gears, a rotatorytemplet or work-gage, a rotatory workholder, shafts rotatable with said gears respectively, one of said shafts having aflixed thereto the templet or gage and the other having fixed to it the work-support, and provisions whereby the work-support is movable toward and from the templet.

15. A machine of the character referred to comprising a work-feeding ratchet having teeth of variable length, and a reciprocatory pawl moving through a constant path for actuating said ratchet.

16. A machine of the character referred to comprising a pawl movable in an unvarying path, a ratchet-wheel having teeth. of varying length, and a worlr-feeding device actuated by said ratchet.

17. A machine of the character referred to comprising a pawl movable in an unvarying path, a ratchet-wheel having teeth of varying length, and a rotary work-feeding device r0- tated with a variable step-by-step motion by 7 said ratchet.

18. A machine of the character referred to comprising a pawl movable in an unvarying path, a ratchet-wheel having teeth of varying length, a templet or gage movable with said ratchet-wheel, a rotary holder for a heel in which a series of nails, equal in number to the ratchet-wheel, are to be set, and connections between said work-holder and said ratchet for moving said ratchet-wheel and hold er in unison.

19. A machine of the character referred to comprising a pawl movable in an unvarying path, a ratchet-wheel having teeth of varying length, a rotary holder for a heel in which a series of nails, equal in number to the ratchetteeth, are to be set, said holder being operated by said ratchet-wheel, and provisions for automatically moving the worlr-holder to inoperative position when the rotation of the holderis completed.

20. In a machine of the character described a heel-feeding mechanism, automatic means whereby a predetermined number of substantially equally spaced nails are set in the face of a heel at a predetermined distance from the edge, and means whereby the contour face of the heel determines the distance between the periphery of the heel and the position of the nails.

21. In a machine of the character described, a rotary heelholder, automatic mechanism for rotating said heel-holder with steps of variable length, and automatic mechanism for positioning the heel-holder relatively to a fasteller-driving mechanism to cause the nails to be set at substantially equal distance from the edge of the heel.

22. In a machine of the character referred to a rotary work-holder, and a rotary workgage or templet which has an operative surface varying in distance from its axis of rotatlon.

23. A machine of the characterreferred to comprising a work-gage, a work-holder adapted to hold the work against the gage, a guide for the work-holder, a gear having a fixed axis of rotation and a shaft transmitting power from the gear to the work-holder, and universal joints interposed between the workholder and the gear, whereby the work holder is rotated by said. gear and at the same time is adapted to move bodily toward and from'said gage.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT F. PRESTON.

Witnesses:

M. B. MAY, GEORGE Pnzzn'rrr. 

